York County mother charged after newborn baby tests positive for meth
A York County mother has been charged after her newborn baby tested positive for drugs, police said.
Amber Raper, 40, of Hickory Grove, was arrested Thursday by Rock Hill Police Department detectives and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child after she and the infant tested positive for methamphetamine, said Lt. Michael Chavis.
Meth was found when the infant was born in Rock Hill, Chavis said. Police were notified and began an investigation, Chavis said.
Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system, according to the federal government National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The York County Sheriff’s Office and Rock Hill Police Department have assigned detectives to investigate cases where social services and law enforcement officials receive reports of children testing positive for drugs. Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, whose office prosecutes the cases against parents charged with narcotics use, said the safety children involved in these cases is the top priority.
A conviction for unlawful conduct toward a child carries up to 10 years in prison under South Carolina law.
Raper remained in the York County jail Friday under a $10,000 bond after an initial court appearance, records show.
